Cyrex Blood Brain Barrier Test

Cyrex Array 20: Blood Brain Barrier Permeability Screen

What is the Blood Brain Barrier?

An intact blood brain barrier (BBB) functions to effectively prevent unwanted substances that may undermine the integrity of your brain, passing from your blood into your brain. When certain substances cross the BBB and enter your central nervous system, they are likely to trigger auto-immunity and/or various types of brain dysfunction.

The Blood Brain Barrier may be breached by emotional stress, trauma or environmental triggers even in the absence of concussion or brain injury, especially when you have digestive issues, food intolerances or leaky gut. Additionally, sports-related traumatic brain injury and other head injuries indicate high risk of “leaky brain”.

Array 20 may be right for you if you answer “yes” to any of the following:

• Have you (or others) noticed changes in your brain function / cognitive ability? Do you experience "brain fog" or feel as though your brain just doesn't work as fast as it used to?

• Have you suffered from high levels of stress?

• Do you have / suspect autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) or other neuropsychiatric condition?

• Do you have or suspect that you have "leaky gut" (Array 2) ?

• Do you have or suspect gluten sensitivity or other food intolerances and/or sensitivity to toxins, chemicals and/or mould?

• Do you have or suspect IBS and/or SIBO (Array 22) ?

• Do you play contact sports during which repeated head trauma occurs?

• Do you engage in activity that involves force or shock to the body and/or head?

• Are you interested in assessing your risk for neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), senile dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, epilepsy or stroke? Array 5 and Array 7X provide additional evaluation re brain-related disorders.

• Would you like the opportunity to reverse the damage to your brain tissue before it's too late?

Why use the Blood Brain Barrier Test?

Cyrex Array 20 tests for breakdown of your blood brain barrier or “leaky brain”, whereby it becomes permeable to substances that should not be allowed through. With BBB permeability, antibodies in your blood may infiltrate your brain or nervous system. The more circulating antibodies you have, the greater your risk and degree of brain/neurological tissue damage.

Our bodies are forgiving, and minor brain tissue damage may be overcome with appropriate interventions; major damage however may not be reversible. Therefore, if you have any reason to suspect BBB breakdown, it is worth testing sooner rather than later for damage to this important structure.

Leaky Gut and Leaky Brain:

Many neurological conditions are believed to originate in the gut, and there is found to be strong correlation between “leaky gut” and “leaky brain”. If Cyrex Array 2, “Leaky Gut Test”, has indicated intestinal autoimmunity and/or elevated antibodies to lipopolysaccharides (LPS), your BBB may become compromised via antibodies and/or bacterial endotoxins circulating throughout your body. When BBB damage has occurred you are then at increased risk of reactive antibodies infiltrating the brain and causing neurological tissue damage.

BBB and Food Reactivity:

If you have any food allergies or food intolerances/sensitivities (as detected on Cyrex Array 3, Array 4, Array 10), then every time you eat those foods you are likely to be producing antibodies which  circulate via your blood around your entire body. The more you eat such foods, the more likely you are to suffer BBB breakdown. Furthermore, if you are sensitive to wheat or gluten (Cyrex Array 3) and/or certain foods that display cross-reactivity to gluten (Cyrex Array 4), then even the occasional tiny exposure to wheat/gluten/dairy etc may induce a cascade of knock-on effects. Moreover certain components of gluten identified by Cyrex Array 3 (eg wheat germ agglutinin – lectin) and specific foods (aquaporins) identified on Array 10 may cause your body to produce antibodies that directly cross-react with brain tissue, further exacerbating any BBB damage. If you continue to eat foods to which you have are allergic/intolerant, your levels of circulating antibodies are prone to increase.

Array 20 Key Concepts:

Cyrex Array 20 tests for antibodies to BBB proteins, which indicate a breakdown of the BBB. This may be either recent onset IgM antibodies (eg: past 2 weeks) or ongoing BBB damage, usually indicated by IgG and IgA antibodies Some patients however make IgM antibodies to BBB proteins on an ongoing basis.

• The presence of blood brain barrier (BBB) auto-antigens may indicate a breakdown of the BBB.
• BBB protein auto-antigens that have persisted for an extended period following repetitive BBB disruptions may cause neuronal cell death, the release of neural antigens and an early cognitive decline.
• When the BBB is damaged it provides a gateway for environmental triggers to infiltrate the brain and nervous system.
• Due to similarity between certain triggers and neurological tissues, neuro-reactive antibodies can be formed.
• Neuronal auto-antibodies contribute to the onset of neurological diseases.
• The sooner BBB breakdown is identified, the greater the possibility of reversing the damage.

For further information about Cyrex testing, please email or contact us here